Stone Forest
STONE FOREST FLYER
September 2014
Volume 4, Issue 9
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Hey, Neighbors, We had a very good annual meeting in July at Trinity Lutheran Church with 46 residences being represented. Considering that previous annual meetings have anywhere from 9 to 19 attendees, this turnout was fine. See how well we respond when money is offered? We're shooting for over 50 next year. . To boost attendance, we tried something new--door prizes. One resident won the grand prize of free dues for 2015 and two others won a $100 VISA gift certificate and a $50 MasterCard gift certificate. The meeting went almost exactly one hour as promised and was pretty smooth. The board explained explained spending this year over and above regular maintenance and contract expendidtures. These included the three street lights on Edgewood Place (less than $1,000), the playground re-make (approx $62,000) and the coming sidewalk (approx $26,000). We feel that this enough spending for this year and re-assess things at the beginning of 2015. As to the sidewalk, the contract has been awarded to NuTech Concrete and they will begin soon. Hopefully, it will be done by the time you read this newsletter. The new sidewalk will be 6 feet wide with a wave pattern (i.e. not just a straight line) and will include approx 250 yards from Young Oak to Valiant Woods, approx 60 yards from Valiant Woods to the mailbox cluster on the south east side of Edgewood Place and approx 30 yards to connect the two sidewalk sections in front of the playground. As I mentioned at the annual meeting, some of our homes are now over 12 years old and that means some exterior
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maintence such as repainting and refencing will soon be pulling stuff from our checkbooks. Please be mindful of our deed restrictions in those matters. There are guidelines on our webpage under the News and Activities section. See the ACC section. There several things I'll suggest here. Repainting is definitely NOT simple. Please consult a knowledgeable painter or sales person when selecting the proper color. Or, as one of the women at the meeting suggested, consult with your wife before selecting a color. Experience shows that the small sample on a piece of paper at the local store hardly ever matches with what it woll look like when it is painted on something as large as a house. Generally, the color is highly magnified when applied. I had a friend in Corpus Christi who was repainting a cream colored house. He found a perfectly matching sample (he thought) and purchased it. When he was done he had the brightest mustard yellow house he had ever seen. And he isn't the only example I've heard of. Either go at least one or two shades lighter or at least paint a 5 foot by 5 foot sample first on some "hidden" place on your house before spending a large amount on what may be the wrong kind. The other thing often needing "help" is the fencing. The present grades of cedar don't hold up well to our sun, humidity and the constant clicking of the clock. Therefore, some of our fences are also coming up for re-do's. Some residents have already re-done theirs on their own and have done well. Some have tried to stain and/or paint theirs and that has led to some headaches. (Continued on Page 2)
The Stone Forest Flyer - September 2014
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